Kiraitu ‘bus’ shunned as MPs await Uhuru choice

By ISAAC ONGIRI

Several PNU MPs are confused over which political party to board even as those who previously signalled they would join the Alliance Party of Kenya of Energy Minister Kiraitu Murungi begin to think otherwise.

The events that would follow Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta’s choice of a party in the coming days would determine whether the "bus" assembled to accommodate Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, Internal Security Minister George Saitoti, and the Deputy Prime Minister can take off.

Most MPs are treading with care not to pick parties shunned by Uhuru who said he is quitting Kanu, but appears not to be keeping the PNU Alliance within his options.

New outfit

In the three by-elections last year, three candidates associated with the new outfit won in Kirinyaga Central, Kamukunji, and Kitutu-Masaba after Uhuru joined leaders in popularising the party.

The PNU Alliance, now changing its name to Alliance Party of Kenya, previously appeared to be the destination for most Central and Eastern legislators.

But its fortunes appear to have nosedived following Uhuru’s reluctance to continue to openly associate with it and the emerging signals he is headed for a different political party.

One of the architects of the PNU Alliance Johnstone Muthama regretted the ideals of the party he said was formed by Kalonzo, Uhuru and Alliance Johnstone Muthama regretted the ideals of the party he said was formed by Kalonzo, Uhuru and Saitoti were being washed away because of selfish ethnic interests.

"The PNU Alliance was formed to give room to unity so that Kenyans could come together. I am saddened that selfishness is cropping in and leaders are straying away to pursue selfish interests. I am very disappointed," Muthama said.

Uhuru word

Vocal leaders who pushed for its creation led by Mathira MP Ephraim Maina have gone politically missing while Finance Minister Njeru Githae, who also vigorously fronted for the outfit, has joined a group of MPs waiting for Uhuru’s final word.

Several first-time MPs led by Ndaragwa’s Jeremiah Kioni and Assistant Minister Nderitu Mureithi have moved to the little known United Democratic Front led by Mandera Central MP Abdikadir Mohamed.

Assistant Minister Mwangi Kiunjuri has also declined to quit his GNU party and has instead gone ahead to seek compliance with the law at the Political Party’s Registrar.

Vital networks

Assistant Minister Kareke Mbiuki told The Standard On Sunday that the DPM was asked to disassociate himself from the party after it failed to make significant networks capable of exorcising the ghost of mafias.

"PNU Alliance is Kiraitu’s party and has no national features. Uhuru himself is a political party and we do not want him to be bogged down by entities meant for regional politics," said Mbiuki.

Already, several MPs are on flight from the party waiting for the DPM to officially disclose his new political vehicle.

Nakuru Town MP Lee Kinyanjui attributes MPs’ reluctance to go into total dalliance with the new party to previous lack of consultations on which directions to take.

Kinyanjui admits most MPs do not want to take a gamble and be seen to be running against the tide.

"I think the problem is that we have not had sufficient consultations to arrive at a solution and also because many of the other MPs have made investments in other parties and find it very costly to change parties now,"Kinyanjui said.

While Uhuru and his allies have mostly kept off the Alliance’s Party’s activities as they concentrate in developing a new political brand, Kalonzo’s supporters insist they will continue to associate with the party even as they mobilise support for their own Wiper Democratic Movement Party.

"The agreement we have is that the PNU Alliance or the Alliance Party of Kenya is to be an umbrella political party that is to bring together different parties and we still subscribe to those arrangements," said Mwala MP Daniel Muoki.

Muoki said Kalonzo is still hopeful that a memorandum signed between himself, Uhuru and Saitoti that informed the creation of the new outfit will remain.

New party

The three leaders were expected to operate a joint presidential venture and a team of experts gravitating around the new party were working on nomination rules.

The plans, however, diminished after Saitoti and his group fled, claiming the outfit was a political party like theirs. In an attempt to strength itself, the new party has appointed agents in 30 counties to co-ordinate its activities.

Key positions

On Saturday, the PNU Alliance party was expected to hold strategic consultations with aspirants for various leadership positions within the party.

It’s elections board secretary Yusuf Aboubakar announced the meetings were to be held at the county level.

Though Central Province is known to defy the single political party mentality, those around Uhuru indicate he was keen to unify the region under one party and those scattering into smaller outfit could be in for a rude shock.